


Bitch Better Have My McNuggets

by IrisofParadise



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-29
Updated: 2015-12-02
Packaged: 2018-05-03 22:21:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5309189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IrisofParadise/pseuds/IrisofParadise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Matt is six years old and runs into an eleven year old Vladimir who was visiting the United States with his family but instead ended up lost and at McDonald's with an annoying six year old.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired from an "Imagine your OTP" thing on tumblr. Originally this was going to be a oneshot. But then things happened. So this will be a small multi chapter fic. A big huge thanks and hug to thisisnothowidie on tumblr for showing me the prompt and helping me with ideas. Follow her on tumblr. She's amazing.

Winter in New York is cold, but not nearly as cold as winter in Russia, Vladimir decides as he walks around. He wrinkles his nose in distaste as he kicks up clumps of muddied snow. He's been walking around with his head down for almost half an hour now and though it's not as cold as back home, he is starting to become rather chilled. It surprises him, and annoys him, when he's smacked in the back of the head with a snow ball. The blonde turns to send a glare to whoever had dared to throw a snow ball at him but sees no one.

At eye level anyway.

A glance down and he raises an eyebrow, while continuing to glare, at a small doe eyed and dark haired child.

“Sorry I hit you. I got bored. You wanna have a snow ball fight with me?” The child asks with a bright grin. He doesn't even wait for Vladimir to respond, just picks up a handful of snow and begins to pack it into a ball shape. “My name is Matthew by the way! But you can call me Matt. What's your name?”

“None of your business,” Vladimir snaps out.

The child wrinkled his nose in distaste before tossing the snow ball onto the sidewalk. “Well that's a dumb name.”

Vladimir just scoffed and turned to walk away. He really needed to find his brother. But as the child began to run carefully to keep up with him, the blonde was beginning to regret his decision to wander from his brother in the first place. He knew that they had to, but he really didn't want to, return back to Russia the next day. And he had grown to really love New York in the short amount of time that they were visiting. But as the child, Matthew, continued to babble on about nothing and everything that caught his attention, Vladimir was becoming more than ready to get on the plane again.

“Do you ever shut up?!” Vladimir shouted finally in exasperation. He sighed happily as Matt did just that. But then let out a loud groan as the child began to talk again.

“Sometimes. Usually when it's bedtime. My daddy doesn't like for me to eat chocolate candy before bed. Why do you sound funny? Are you from Jersey?” He frowns up at Vladimir with a disappointed face.

The Russian turned to give the child a look but then made a face right back at the child. “Chto? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Matthew shrugged before grinning brightly. “I don't know. Everyone here hates people from Jersey. But if you're from Jersey I don't want to hate you. Hey! We should go to McDonald's! I love McDonald's!”

And with that, the child was tugging on Vladimir's hand and pulling the slightly reluctant Russian towards the building with the large 'M'. Vladimir frowned but didn't pull his hand away, just followed after the grinning child who still had a death grip on his hand.

“I do not like McDonald's,” Vladimir said with a frown.

The brunette just turned to frown at him once more in disapproval. “Well that's just un-American of you.”

By this point they were right in front of the fast food restaurant's door and Matthew was shaking his head in disappointment at Vladimir as he tugged the blonde into the noisy restaurant. Vladimir gave a scowl as some children, probably just a few years older than Matthew, ran past them screaming and laughing loudly. The blonde gave the grinning child a dry look and rolled his eyes.

“I am not American,” he says, his accent thick.

Matthew just nods his head in understanding. “That's right. You're from Jersey.”

He either doesn't notice, or doesn't care, about the appalled look that Vladimir gives him.

“You should get us food!” Matthew whisper-yelled with another soft tug to Vladimir's hand.

Vladimir wrinkled his nose and stuck his hands into his jeans pockets. “I do not have money,” he lied, the words coming out slowly. He gripped the crumpled ones in his pockets.

“Neither do I. So what do we do? I'm hungry,” Matthew whined out, now gripping tightly to Vladimir's leg.

As the child pouted at him the Russian couldn't help but roll his eyes and go to the counter. He ignored as the child let out a quiet 'yay', and followed after him.

“Whatchyah want kids?” The young adult asked from behind the register. He raised an eyebrow in amusement as the pre-teen stared at the menu in confusion and the child grinned and hopped in place.

“Chicken nuggets! We want chicken nuggets please?”

The older teenager raised an eyebrow at the blonde and waited for him to give a nod before giving the price for the food and handing over two small plastic cups in exchange for the money that Vladimir slowly handed over with a sad look.

“Your brother is cute,” the teenager said with a grin as he handed over the tray of food.

Vladimir scowled and pointed to Matthew. “ _That_ is not my brother,” he said simply, his tone of voice implying that he was just insulted.

Matthew grinned. “Yeah! We're just friends! He's from Jersey!”

Again, he either didn't notice, or didn't care that Vladimir was looking at him oddly. “ _Are you for real? I feel like you are not a real child,”_ Vladimir mumbled in his native tongue, following Matthew to the play area. “Can we not sit in there?” Vladimir asked in distaste as a child let out a yell. Matthew just tugged him to follow.

“We gotta! Take off your shoes!”

“Chto?”

Matthew turned to him, tiny hands on his waist as he glared up at the taller boy. “I don't speak whatever words those are. Now take off your shoes!”

“Why?”

Now the child rolled his eyes at him as he kicked off his own shoes. “'Cause you gotta. Now,” he dropped his coat over his shoes and grabbed a hold of Vladimir's hand, “come on!”

Vladimir sighed but did as instructed and followed the smaller child. He couldn't read the sign that said no food allowed in the play area. Matt led the way to the slides and sat down on the cool platform in front of a bright red slide. Vladimir sat across from him and placed the tray between them.

“Can I have some now? Please?” Matt asked, pointing to the chicken nuggets.

Vladimir scowled at him. “Nyet.” He popped a chicken nugget into his mouth and grinned. He refused to admit it, but the food was surprisingly tasty. “Is good.” The Russian popped another into his mouth.

Matthew reached over and grabbed one but before he could put it into his mouth, Vladimir was snatching it back. “Hey!”

“Nyet! I bought these so they are mine! I say no!” Vladimir said with a glare to the child.

Matthew gave a huff and glared right back. “And I said please so gimme!” He made another reach but let out an annoyed huff as Vladimir picked up the chicken nugget box and moved it out of his reach.

“No!”

“Yes!”

Vladimir scowled and pushed the fries closer to Matthew. “I say no! Eat those! These are mine!”

The child pouted and tears began to gather at the corners of his eyes. Vladimir couldn't help but to panic slightly.

“No no no! Fine! Here! Take them!” He shoved the small box to wide eyed child. “All yours!”

Matthew grinned brighter than the sun and happily accepted the box. “Thank you!” He said happily around a mouthful of chicken nuggets.

A moment passed. Then the dawning realization of what had just happened hit Vladimir like a train and he stared at Matthew in wide eyed shock. “You were faking!”

“Uh huh!” The child gave a nod as he shoved another chicken nugget into his mouth.

“ _Conniving little brat!”_ Vladimir hissed out, eyes still wide in shock at the six year old.

Matthew swallowed and gave Vladimir a very serious look. “I don't mess around when it comes to chicken nuggets. Chicken nuggets are serious business.”

Unbeknownst to the two children, a twenty year old brunette Russian was hurriedly making his way down the snow covered side walks, asking anyone he saw if they had seen a blonde Russian child. “He's about this tall,” he made a gesture, “blue eyes. Blonde. Kind of rude.” But no one had seen him.

Another man was looking for his six year old son. “Please, have you seen him?”

And it must have been pure luck that the two bumped into each other. “Have you-” “You first-” “I-”

The older man frowned. “Have you seen a kid with brown hair? Talks a mile a minute? About this tall?”

The younger man shook his head and frowned. “I am looking for moy brat'ya,” his accent grew thicker the more he spoke, “I cannot find him. Please help me!”

“Alright! Okay. Let's calm down and keep looking. We'll find them. I'm Jack. You?”

“Anatoly,” the Russian said shakily, beginning to calm down as the other adult began to help control the situation.

Jack nodded and made a gesture for the brunette to follow him. It was only ten minutes later when Jack spotted the McDonald's and hurriedly crossed the street to go into the fast food restaurant. He quickly made his way to the cashier and asked if he'd seen either of the two lost boys.

The teenager frowned and nodded. “Yeah. They went in there,” he pointed to the play area, “about twenty or so-”

“Thanks kid!” Jack yelled before rushing to the play area, the Russian hot on his heels. He and Anatoly looked around and couldn't stop their worry from growing as neither saw either of the children.

“Matty?!” “Volodya?!” They shouted in unison, still catching no sight of the children.

“Daddy?” “Tolik?”

The voices were echoy, but definitely the voices of Matthew and Vladimir. Anatoly instantly relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief. “Where are you?”

“In the slide. This brat took my chicken nuggets!”

“Nuh uh! You gave 'em to me!”

“Because you are faker and tricky!”

Jack shook his head in amusement. “Matty, can you come down for me please?”

“But we haven't finished eating the salty things!” Vladimir's voice yelled down. Matt yelled out his agreement.

Anatoly snorted in exasperation. _“Finish eating and get your ass down here.”_

“ _No way! You're going to yell at me up for running away! Then take me back to Mama and Papa!”_ Vladimir yelled back, slipping into his native language just like his brother had.

“ _You're damned right I am! Do you have any as to how worried you made me? Now eat.”_ Anatoly yelled back in a strict tone, but he was unable to keep the relieved grin from his face.

He and Jack sat down at a table as they waited for the children to finish eating. Jack shook his head as he heard Matt let out a childish giggle.

“Eh, can't be too mad at them,” Jack said with a fond look up at the slides.

Anatoly shrugged. “Suppose not. Still wouldn't mind strangling him for scaring me. Asshole child.”

Jack laughed loudly at that but didn't disagree. Matt had scared him just as much as Vladimir had obviously scared Anatoly. It was a few more minutes before Matt and Vladimir were sliding down the red slide together, giggling loudly the whole way down. Matt grins and waves over to his dad before grabbing a hold of Vladimir's hand and tugging him over towards the table.

“Daddy! This is my friend! He's from Jersey!” Matt yelled out with a grin and another tug on Vladimir's hand.

The blonde frowned at his brother. “I change my mind. I am ready to go home now.”

Jack glanced between the two children before settling his gaze on the blonde pre-teen. “You sound more Russian though?”

“I am! He won't listen to me!” Vladimir threw his arms up and made a face as the child hugged his leg. “And he is clingy! Won't stop it with the hugging.” He poked the giggling child on the forehead with the tip of his index finger.

Jack tilted his head in confusion as Anatoly watched the scene before him. “Why do you think he's from Jersey, Matty?”

“'Cause he has a weird accent when he talks and he sucks like the people from Jersey!” The child said, sticking his tongue out at the appalled looking blonde.

“I gave you my chicken nuggets, Matvey!” Vladimir shouts back in a tone full of betrayal. 

Matt tapped his chin in thought before giving a nod of approval. “Fine. He doesn't suck like the other Jersey people. Can he come home with us?”

Jack gave a small frown before smiling sadly as Anatoly shook his head. Vladimir frowned. “Sorry kido, but I think they have to go back to their own home.”

The child lost his grin and glanced between his dad and Vladimir. He shook his head slowly. “He can come over tomorrow then?” He didn't understand why everyone looked so sad. Jersey was close by, so his new friend could come visit him anytime he wanted to. Right?

“Matty... it doesn't exactly work that way,” Jack tried to explain, hand out stretched towards his son. Matt just let out a small whine and gripped Vladimir tighter.

“But he's my new friend!”

“I am sorry, but Vladimir and I have to go home,” Anatoly said softly. He frowned as Vladimir blinked away the tears that were beginning to gather in his eyes.

Matthew frowned but gave a small nod. “Can I have his number though? He's my friend.”

Jack turned to Anatoly, who just shrugged and nodded. Matt's grin was bright enough to once again rival the sun's shining. And when he was being carried away minutes later after giving Vladimir one last tight hug, he gave a wave and yelled out, “I hope you have fun back home in Jersey!”

It was three weeks later when Anatoly's small cellphone rang in the middle of the night. The brunette groaned as he grasped the small phone, the clock indicating that it was nearly two in the morning. “Chto?”

The pre-teen let out a groan as he heard his brothers groggy voice, rolled over, and pulled his pillow over his head.

“Vladimir?”

“One moment.” He rolled over and tossed the phone at Vladimir's pillow covered head. _“Vladimir. Phone.”_

“Nyet.”

“Is Matvey. Tell him to go away.” Anatoly rolled back over so that his back was now to his brother. A low, groggy mumble of, _“Running my bill up,”_ and then soft snores from the elder Russian.

Vladimir picked up the phone. “Matvey?”

“How's Jersey?!”

The blonde twitched slightly before letting out a loud groan. He could just imagine Matthew frowning and giving a sympathetic nod as the child said, “Yeah. Jersey sucks. I'm sorry. Hey! Wanna get more chicken nuggets?!”

“Is middle of night Matvey!”

“You're lying. It is not.”

Vladimir gave a loud yawn. “Is night time for me. Time changes.” He yelped as a pillow was tossed at him.

“ _Make him hang up.”_

“ _I can't!”_ The blonde pouted back at his half asleep brother.

“ _Yes you can! Is sleeping time!”_

Vladimir gave a small sigh that broke off into another yawn. “Matvey, I need to go. Is sleeping time. Call me later.”

“Awh!” The blonde grinned as he imagined the pout that Matt was surely giving. “Alright. Good night, Vladimir!”

“Good night, Matvey.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt and Vladimir calling each other through the years.

It's during breakfast the following morning that Anatoly's phone rings shrilly from his pocket at the table. A glance down at the glowing name and he just hands the phone over to Vladimir.

“Hello?”

“Vla'imir?” There's the sound of a long yawn.

“Matvey?”

“Can we get chicken nuggets now? It's not night time for you anymore, is it?”

Vladimir rolls his eyes and takes another bite of his toast. “I can't. I have school. I rather get McDonald's though.”

“I can come to Je-” Matt breaks off mid word to yawn. “-rsey?”

The blonde just grins and shakes his head. “Nyet. I am home. In Russia.” He ignores as Anatoly explains who Vladimir is on the phone with. Feels his ears go warm as his mother giggles and presses a kiss to the top of his head.

“Is that in Jersey?”

“Go to sleep, Matvey.”

“G'night.”

Matt is nine when he loses his eyesight. He wants so desperately to call Vladimir, like he's been doing once a month, more if he can help it, since he was six. But now that he can hear everything on an alarming scale, he can't even hold the phone up to his ear anymore. There's too much static noise. But after almost a full two months of not hearing Vladimir's voice, he can't take it anymore. He has to hear Vladimir's voice. He asks his dad if he can call and Jack grins down at him and hands him the phone.

Slowly he dialed the numbers. He didn't even have to think about them anymore, they were ingrained into his memory. Forgetting Vladimir's number would be like forgetting his own name. He didn't have to wait long until he heard the familiar voice of Anatoly.

“Hallo?” He sounds confused. Probably because Matt hasn't called in a while. 

“Is Vladimir there?” Matt asks a bit too quietly, his voice just above a whisper. Somehow Anatoly is still able to hear him.

“Matvey?” He sounds almost surprised now. And Matt brightens up considerably as he makes out Vladimir's voice yelling in a mix of Russian and English for Anatoly to give him the phone.

“Matvey?!”

Matt pulls the phone away from his ear with a wince as Vladimir yells a bit too loudly. “Hey-”

“Where have you been? You stop calling for months!”

The brunette frowns once more as Vladimir yells. He can hear the undertone of hurt, confusion, and worry and it makes him have to blink away tears. He can't stop the sniffles from escaping though and Vladimir hears.

“What's wrong?” Now he just sounds concerned and it makes Matt shake with the tears that he's holding in. “Matvey?”

“I'm sorry.”

“Huh?”

Matt hiccups. “For not calling.”

There's a rustle noise that Matt thinks may be Vladimir shaking his head. “Is fine. What happened? You are okay, da?” His accent has grown slightly thicker in his worry.

Matt gave a nod before he could stop himself. Then, “Yeah. I'm fine. I was... I got in an accident.” And then he's telling Vladimir about how he pushed a man out of the way of a car and lost his eyesight because of it. He almost tells about how he can hear and smell and feel everything. But he's somehow able to stop himself. He's not sure if Vladimir would believe him or not.

They go back to calling about once or twice a month again.

Until Matt loses his father and then he doesn't hear from Vladimir for four months because the blonde doesn't know what happened to Matthew. Every time that Vladimir tries to call he just reaches a dial tone and hears, “Sorry but the number you are trying to reach has been disconnected.”

So he's very surprised when Anatoly hands him the small cellphone with a, “Matvey is on the phone for you.”

Matthew is now in an orphanage and all of the other children are just as distracting and loud as the static noise of the phone; St. Agnes Orphanage. After months of not hearing Vladimir's voice, he can't help it. He has to hear the Russian. So he shakily asks if he's allowed to make a phone call to a friend. And Sister Maggie looks down at him with a sad smile before letting him have the phone and leaving him to his privacy.

“Vladimir?”

“Matvey.”

And Matt can't help but to burst into tears and shake. He expects for the Russian to hang up on him but after ten minutes of him crying and gaining control of himself and Vladimir is still on the other end, humming a soft tune to himself or to Matt, Matt is unsure which. And he almost begins to cry again. Instead he tells Vladimir about how his father died. And how he feels like it's all his fault.

Vladimir stays silent until Matthew is done talking. Then sighs and, “It was not your fault.”

They start calling again. Once a month Matthew is able to call Vladimir. Sister Maggie sneaks him the phone on the afternoon at the first of the month. It's not too long before Stick finds out about his calls that he makes. And he berates and yells and belittles them. All to get a rise out of Matt. And Matt is ashamed to say that it worked.

He had screamed and run at Stick only to be kicked and pushed around. Just like every other time he's tried to fight the more experienced man. But he doesn't stop the calls. He's already lost his sight. His dad. He's not going to lose hearing Vladimir too. And soon enough, Stick is leaving him too.

Matthew is fourteen when he develops a crush on Vladimir because the older boy has always been so patient with him. He's fifteen when he realizes that he really _really_ likes the sound of his voice. More than he should. But he can't help it. 

“And I throw snowball at Anatoly's face and hi-” Vladimir stopped talking as Matt made a noise, indicating that he was still there and listening. But Vladimir also knew that it was late for the fifteen year old. “Matvey?”

“Mm?” Matt mumbles, holding his own small cell phone to his ear while he tries to stay awake.

“Are you alright?”

“Mhm.”

“You are sure? If you need to sleep, I go.” A glance over to the clock in the kitchen and Vladimir sees that it's nearly half past ten in the morning, so for Matthew, it's probably half past two in the morning. And the teenager had school tomorrow.

Matt lets out a noise of disapproval as he jolts more awake. “No! I mean... no. I'm fine. I'm awake. I just like listening to your v- I mean I like hearing about your day!” And Matt wishes the bed would swallow him up because he's blushing a bright red and his whole body feels too warm now. Especially as Vladimir lets out an amused noise.

But Vladimir doesn't pick on Matt. Just continues talking. Ten minutes later and he can just barely hear Matt snoring softly. “Good night, milii moi.” And he ends the call.

Anatoly raises an eyebrow at him in amusement.

“ _Shut up!”_ Vladimir yelps out, ears turning a light pink shade.

The elder Russian just held up his hands in a surrender pose but can't keep the knowing look from his face. _“I didn't say anything.”_

Matthew and Vladimir call each other now every few days for the next few years. They talk about nothing and everything and Matthew feels his crush on Vladimir grow even more the more they talk. He tells Vladimir about how school is going. How he'll be graduating soon. Going to college. What he wants to go to school for. Vladimir always makes a noise of approval. And Matt revels in it. Until one day the calls stop.

And now Matt is the one receiving what he assumes to be, _“I'm sorry, but the number you are trying to reach has been disconnected,”_ message in Russian every time that he calls Vladimir. He wonders if somehow Vladimir knew about his crush on him and that's why he can no longer reach the Russian. For a moment he wonders if something happened to Vladimir and Anatoly and he feels like he's been punched in the gut because the thought of either of the Russians, especially Vladimir, hurt or worse pains him.

But as the years go on he feels like his crush has finally faded. He's finally moving on.

And then he receives a call from an unknown number in the middle of the night.

“Mng mm, 'ello?” He mumbles into the phone somehow. It's a wonder he's even understood considering he still has his face shoved into his pillow.

“Matvey?”

It's almost whispered, it's spoken so quietly. As if the speaker doesn't want anyone else to know about what he's doing. He sounds tired and worn down. Older than the last time they spoke.

“Vladimir?!” Matt can't help but almost yell the name. He receives a groan from Foggy across the room and a pillow being tossed at his head, which he tosses back a moment later after his shock has worn off.

“Matvey,” this time Vladimir just barely breathes out his name. 

Matt frowns. “Yeah?”

"Milii moi."

"Huh?" The foreign words confuse Matt for a moment.

Vladimir gives a small coughing noise as if to clear his throat or maybe push away embarrassment at having let the endearment slip past his lips. “I lost my phone for while.”

And Matt has to shove his face back into his pillow to stifle his nearly manic laughter. “Are you serious right now?” He imagines that the Russian is smirking as he nods.

“Da. Unfortunate accident.”

“You lost your phone for three years?” Matt asks in a tone that clearly says that he doesn't believe the Russian. But Vladimir just laughs softly. 

“Very unfortunate accident.”

Matt can hear his heart even over the phone and though it's racing, he can tell that it's more from nervousness than a lie. “You want to talk about it then?”

“Nyet. I call you later. Tolik and I... We are going on trip.” He speaks the words slowly, as if carefully picking the words.

The brunette just raises an eyebrow. “Trip to where?”

“Jersey, you brat,” Vladimir laughs out quietly. His heart races ever so slightly at the small lie and Matt scoffs as he hears the jump in heart rate through the phone. The blonde just grins as he hears Matt scoff into the phone. “Go back to sleep. I call later.”

Matt frowns in doubt but takes Vladimir's word. “Alright." He gives a yawn. "G'night Vladimir.”

“Good night.”

The calls start back as if they'd never ended for those three years. It's eight more years of this. Calling every few days at almost random times. While Matt is on lunch. Early in the mornings. Late at night. And Mat feels his heart begin to race just like it had when he was fifteen when his phone says, "VLADIMIR VLADIMIR VLADIMIR". 

“So how's Jersey?” Matt asks in a sarcastic tone one evening as he's slipping a tight black shirt over his torso. It's been eight years since Vladimir had lied about moving to Jersey. But the Russian refuses to tell Matt where he actually moved to. So they keep pretending that Vladimir actually moved to Jersey.

Vladimir scoffs and there's the sound of something, probably vodka, being poured into a glass. “Is perfect.” There's the sound of a pen scratching its way across paper. “I love it.”

Matt scoffs in disbelief. “You should visit Hell's Kitchen again,” he retorts with a small grin as he slips the black gloves onto his hands.

The Russian makes an amused sound. “I get right on that.” And maybe Matt is imagining things, but it almost sounds like Vladimir is keeping a secret from him. “What will we do when I visit your city again?”

The brunette grins. “Get McDonald's of course.” He laughs as Vladimir groans but the Russian can't keep the amusement from his tone.

“Deal.” There's the sound of a door opening. Hushed and snappy Russian being spoken. Vladimir sighing and, “I have to go. Good night, Matvey.”

“Good night.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reunion. The End.

When Claire tells Matt that it was a Russian man named Vladimir that had her kidnapped and beat up, Matt foolishly, more like naively, believed that it wasn't _his_ Vladimir. And then he smacked himself mentally as he realized that he thought of Vladimir as his.

Even as he hears Vladimir talking before the building explodes he still refuses to think that the Vladimir in that building is the Vladimir that he's talked to for his whole life. It's not until they're in a new building, surrounded by cops, and Vladimir is mumbling under his breath that Matt realizes that yes. This is the same person that he has spent a good bit of his life on the phone with.

“Going to ki-”

“You're in Jersey, huh?” Matt spits out dryly, not even caring that he's interrupting the blonde man. Or that the Russian clearly hasn't figured it out like Matt has.

Vladimir furrowed in confusion. He hadn't said that to anyone except for Matthew. He stared up at the masked vigilante in puzzlement as he begins to think that maybe, just maybe, this masked hero is Matvey. But that couldn't possibly be. Right? Matthew was blind. He was a lawyer. He didn't know how to fight. Right?

“Jersey. You asshole! Can't believe I never- you- ugh!” The brunette yells out in frustration.

“ _Matvey_?!” Vladimir finally yells out in disbelief as he begins to recognize the voice.

Matt turns to face his direction and if the mask weren't covering the top half of his face, Vladimir is sure that he'd be on the receiving end of a very fierce glare. “No. It's the milk man.”

“Chto?” This only receives him a loud groan from the masked man. “You never stopped being six. Brat.” He adds the last bit as an after though as he looks Matthew over with an appraising nod. It had been difficult for him to picture what Matt looked like as they grew older. The last time that he had seen him he was a child. But now that he's looking at Matt, he has to admit, he rather likes what he sees.

Even though Matt's yelling is getting on his nerves and for a moment he's rather alright with the fact that he feels as though he can't breathe and his side aches in a way that is familiar but shouldn't be. To normal people anyway.

Matt is shaking him, willing his panic to subside, before he's slipping his burner phone from his pocket and calling Claire.

“It's not as easy as the movies make it to seem!” She almost yells out in exasperation.

The vigilante gives a nod as if to say 'point taken', before smirking and instead giving a, “I don't exactly go to the movies.” He keeps one hand over Vladimir's heart as he hears Claire let out a huffy laugh, almost as if she's fighting between amusement and exasperation. “I like records though. And there's one more thing you should know,” he frowns as he says, “the man you're helping me save, it's Vladimir.” He winces and almost pulls the phone away as she yells.

“Look, you have every right to tell me to go to hell but he's important! He knows things about Fisk and-”

“Matt, no!” She interrupts him with finality.

“Clair, you don't understand!”

She lets out a sigh before yelling back, “You're damn right I don't understand! I know that you want to be the hero and save everyone bu-”

This time Matt interrupts her with, “No! He owes me chicken nuggets!” He is then sighing as he realizes what he said and Claire has gone quiet.

“What?”

“I can explain that later. Help me?”

She lets out one final sigh. “Is there anything you can use?”

He ends up using a flare.

And he can't really fault Claire for being slightly amused as Vladimir lets out a loud yell in pain. And then the Russian is passing out from pain and Matt has to hang up on Claire.

When Vladimir wakes up his first thought is that his side hurts. His second is that Matt has obviously been busy as he looks over the cop that the vigilante has tied up. “You've been busy.”

“And you've been passed out. And lying about being in Jersey.” Matt snaps back as he crosses his arms over his chest.

Vladimir once again gets the feeling that if the younger man weren't wearing a mask, he'd be able to see the glare that Matt is surely giving him. Instead he just scoffs and waves his hand as if to dismiss what Matt is saying. “What did you do to me?” He flinches as he attempts to sit up.

Matt's smirk is not very comforting. “Road flare.”

“You... burned me?” Vladimir asks, just to clarify that that's exactly what Matt did. Matt's small nod makes him scowl. “Mudak.”

“Close, but no dice,” Matt says simply, thinking that the Russian had just mispronounced his name.

Vladimir doesn't understand what exactly that means but decides it'd be best to not say anything.

Just moments later and Matt is straddling Vladimir and performing CPR so very wrong but he doesn't even care because by some miracle the Russian is gasping and breathing and his heart is racing so fast and that's all that Matt can focus on. Just the comforting lub-dub sound of Vladimir's heart. He doesn't even move himself off Vladimir yet. Just keeps his hands placed over Vladimir's racing heart as Vladimir grasps tightly at his legs.

“What?”

“You died. I brought you back,” Matt breathes out, still not believing it. He coughs to clear his throat. “You can't die yet. Not until you give me information on Fisk. And I pay you back for McDonald's.”

The Russian just groans. “Still so annoying,” he mutters, his accent thick. He still hasn't let of Matt and Matt hasn't made a move to climb off of him just yet.

And when Matt does finally move off of him Vladimir instantly misses the weight of the smaller man's body. Misses the warmth leaning over him. But just pushes himself up and the two are in a tunnel with Fisk's men trailing after them.

“I think maybe I stay.”

“How about no,” Matt snaps back, not even thinking for a moment about actually leaving the Russian there. Vladimir sighs. Matt clenches his jaw and shakes his head. He can tell that Vladimir is about to argue with him. “Get up. We're leaving.”

“Where?” Vladimir groans out as Matt helps to lift him from the cold ground. He leans most of his weight against the slightly smaller American. Takes comfort in the body heat radiating from him.

“McDonald's. Then my place,” Matt says without even thinking his words through. But then, it does make sense in a way for them to go back to the very McDonald's where they first ate together. To re-start their friendship, if it could even be labeled as such, where it began. “For old times sake. Not that I still like you,” Matt says simply. Then scowls at himself mentally as he realizes what he had just said.

Vladimir jerks slightly, accidentally tugging Matt backwards with him. “You liked me?” It's breathed out in surprise and Matt can't stop himself from scowling.

“No I did not!”

The Russian leaned against the brunette once more. He smirked as he took in the light blush dusting over Matt's cheeks. He didn't need to see the flush or hear Matt's heart rate to know that the younger man was lying through his teeth. “You lie.”

Matt continues to practically drag Vladimir through the tunnel. “No, you just have to buy me chicken nuggets.”

Vladimir groaned loudly next to Matt's ear. “Damn it. Not again with the chicken nuggets!”

“You sure you're not from Jersey? You're being awfully whinny,” Matt said, smirking as Vladimir let out an appalled curse.

“You never stopped being an annoying six year old!”

Matt gave a scoff. “You may as well be from Jersey,” he muttered under his breath with an annoyed huff.

“I am not from Jersey!” Vladimir yells back, accent thicker. There's a moment of silence between the two as Vladimir thinks over Matt's words. “And I do not understand that!”

The vigilante gives a final scoff and the duo continue their way out of the tunnels and through the dark streets until they walk into a mostly empty but for one person McDonald's. The man, the manager Matt guesses, makes a surprised noise.

“I was about to close for the night?” His heart is racing and he's beginning to sweat heavily. Nervous.

And really, he can't be blamed. The Devil of Hell's Kitchen has just walked into McDonald's almost carrying a bleeding and bruised Russian.

Matt holds up his hands the best that he can while still gripping Vladimir. “We can pay you not to call the cops? Right?” He gives a nudge to Vladimir's side and the Russian lets out a pained hiss.

But he slowly gives a nod and forces what he hoped was a calming grin. It wasn't. It was more of a grimace and not reassuring at all considering he was covered in blood. “Da.”

The man just frowned.

“We just want a thing of chicken nuggets,” Matt said in an attempt to calm down the man. It only confused him further but he gave a nod. Matt nudged Vladimir gently.

The blonde frowned then scowled at him. “I thought you were paying!”

“I didn't bring my wallet,” Matt sighed with an almost pout.

Vladimir gave a loud groan. “Fucking seriously?”

“I saved your miserable life just now! The least you can do is buy the chicken nuggets, you asshole! You owe me!”

The Russian just leans his head back and groans. “I owe you shit, mudak! Hate you, brat.” But he gets his wallet out of his pocket and throws a handful of twenties to the counter with a muttered, “Keep change. Don't call cops and I won't shoot you,” as he picks up the tray of food. He ignores as Matt surely gives him another glare but follows him to the play area but not before either heard, “The last time a Russian came in here I was a teenager and he had a small kid with him. Think they got lost and ended up eating in the play area too.”

They decide to ignore this and sit at one of the colorful tables.

“I thought you were still in Russia,” Matt says simply as he picks up a french fry.

The Russian gave a shrug. “I tell you we left for Jersey for trip!”

“And it was a lie! What about those three years, huh?” Vladimir gave him a confused look as he chewed on the food. “Those three years where you dropped off the face of the earth?!”

“Oh. I tell you! Unfortunate accident.” Vladimir smirked slightly as he carefully chewed his food, eyes never leaving the younger man's form.

“Which was?”

A rustle of fabric and a hiss of pain as Vladimir shrugs before stating, “I was in prison.”

“For what?!"

The answer comes out softly and slowly, as if Vladimir is afraid of how Matt will react to his response. “Murder.”

Matt nearly drops his chicken nugget as Vladimir's answer sinks in. “Oh my God...” He trails off as he mentally sends a prayer and asks for patience to deal with the Russian.

Vladimir takes the fact that Matt is still sitting there with him as the brunette being just slightly displeased with him. So he gives a shrug and picks up a french fry. “Bastard had it coming.”

Matt just gave a sigh. “Vladimir.”

“Da?”

“Stop talking,” Matt said as he squeezed the bridge of his nose, “That doesn't make it better. I'm going to call Claire and see if she can come to my place and help patch us up. Don't talk to her. Okay?” He doesn't even wait for Vladimir to agree, he just fishes his burner phone out of his pocket and calls Claire.

“Oh thank God. You're not dead.”

Vladimir frowns as Matt smirks. “Hey, Claire.”

“And the Russian?”

“Breathing. We're at McDonald's. Can you meet me at my place?” Matt picks up a chicken nugget and scowls as Vladimir snatches it from his hand and pops it into his own mouth.

“Matt,” she sighs out, but he can tell she's about to give in.

He grins and doesn't notice as Vladimir's eyes narrow ever so slightly. “You're my favorite Claire.”

“Thought I was your favorite?!” Vladimir yells out just loud enough for his voice to carry to Claire on the other end of the phone.

Matt scowls at him. “You are an ass!”

“And you are still whinny!” Vladimir snaps back.

“Claire please ignore him.” The blind man turns to angle his body so that the phone is further away from the Russian.

Vladimir just raises his voice with a smirk.

“Please let me die.”

“Claire!”

“...ohmygod you two are fucking children...” Is all that Matt hears before she hangs up on the two bickering men.

Matt turns to glare and yell at the Russian but instead he's met with the Russian pulling him forward slightly and pressing their mouths together in a rough kiss. And when they separate Matt wills his heart to slow back down because honestly, that was not the best kiss ever. But instead he just breathes out, “You taste like blood and fries,” before pulling Vladimir closer and pressing their mouths together in a much better kiss.

A few more moments pass and then Vladimir is the one breaking the kiss with a mumbled, “You taste like shitty food.”

 


End file.
